100G – GENERAL AWARENESS ASSIGNMENT

NATURE – OUR ASSET TO HUMANITY

NAME: DHANUSH PRABHAKAR V

CLASS: FIRST YEAR B.Sc. BIOTECH
REG.NO: 21
D.O.S: 21/10/2021

SUBMITTED TO:

Dr. N. BALAMBIGAI,
PROFESSOR,
DEPARTMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY,
Dr. GRD COLLEGE OF SCIENCE.
 SYNOPSIS

• INTRODUCTION
• HUMAN INTERRELATIONSHIP
• BENEFITS OF NATURE
• CONSERVATION OF NATURE
• REFERENCES

INTRODUCTION:

• Nature, in the broadest sense, is the natural, physical, material world or universe. "Nature"
can refer to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of
nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. Although humans are part of nature, human
activity is often understood as a separate category from other natural phenomena.

• The word nature is borrowed from the Old French nature and is derived from the Latin
word natura, or "essential qualities, innate disposition", and in ancient times, literally meant
"birth". In ancient philosophy, natura is mostly used as the Latin translation of the Greek
word physis (φύσις), which originally related to the intrinsic characteristics that plants,
animals, and other features of the world develop of their own accord.

• Nature is an important and integral part of mankind. It is one of the greatest blessings for
human life; however, nowadays humans fail to recognize it as one. Nature has been an
inspiration for numerous poets, writers, artists and more of yesteryears. This remarkable
creation inspired them to write poems and stories in the glory of it. They truly valued nature
which reflects in their works even today.

• Essentially, nature is everything we are surrounded by like the water we drink, the air we
breathe, the sun we soak in, the birds we hear chirping, the moon we gaze at and more.
Above all, it is rich and vibrant and consists of both living and non-living things. Therefore,
people of the modern age should also learn something from people of yesteryear and start
valuing nature before it gets too late.
HUMAN INTERRELATIONSHIP:

➢ Although humans comprise only a minuscule proportion of the total living biomass on
Earth, the human effect on nature is disproportionately large. Because of the extent of
human influence, the boundaries between what humans regard as nature and "made
environments" is not clear cut except at the extremes. Even at the extremes, the amount of
natural environment that is free of discernible human influence is diminishing at an
increasingly rapid pace.
➢ A 2020 study published in Nature found that anthropogenic mass (human-made materials)
outweighs all living biomass on earth, with plastic alone exceeding the mass of all land and
marine animals combined. And according to a 2021 study published in Frontiers in Forests
and Global Change, only about 3% of the planet's terrestrial surface is ecologically and
faunally intact, with a low human footprint and healthy populations of native animal
species.
➢ The development of technology by the human race has allowed the greater exploitation of
natural resources and has helped to alleviate some of the risk from natural hazards. In spite
of this progress, however, the fate of human civilization remains closely linked to changes
in the environment. There exists a highly complex feedback loop between the use of
advanced technology and changes to the environment that are only slowly becoming
understood.
➢ Man-made threats to the Earth's natural environment include pollution, deforestation, and
disasters such as oil spills. Humans have contributed to the extinction of many plants and
animals, with roughly 1 million species threatened with extinction within decades. The loss
of biodiversity and ecosystem functions over the last half century have impacted the extent
 that nature can contribute to human quality of life, and continued declines could pose a
major threat to the continued existence of human civilization, unless a rapid course
correction is made.
➢ Humans employ nature for both leisure and economic activities. The acquisition of natural
resources for industrial use remains a sizable component of the world's economic system.
Some activities, such as hunting and fishing, are used for both sustenance and leisure, often
by different people. Agriculture was first adopted around the 9th millennium BCE. Ranging
from food production to energy, nature influences economic wealth.

➢ Although early humans gathered uncultivated plant materials for food and employed the
medicinal properties of vegetation for healing, most modern human use of plants is through
agriculture. The clearance of large tracts of land for crop growth has led to a significant
reduction in the amount available of forestation and wetlands, resulting in the loss of habitat
for many plant and animal species as well as increased erosion.

(a) (b)

(c) (d)
The man-made threats to the natural environment are listed above such as deforestation (a),
pollution [air (b), water (c)] and oil spill (d).
BENEFITS OF NATURE:
• Natural areas help clean our air, purify our water, produce food and medicines, reduce
chemical and noise pollution, slow floodwaters, and cool our streets. We call this work
‘ecosystem services’.
• Nature thrives in healthy ecosystems, and so do we. For example, plants stimulate the
imagination and help us concentrate, reduce stress and fight disease.
• People who live close to nature are more likely to be social, know their neighbours and
experience less crime.

• Suburbs with more trees and fewer paved areas are cooler. It’s important to green our
neighbourhoods. Our climate is changing and we’re likely to face more hot days above
35⁰C.

• Hard, impervious surfaces like concrete increase runoff from heavy rain, resulting in more
damaging floods. Green or planted areas reduce the risk of damaging floods, slow water
flow down, and filter water before it enters our waterways.

Trees and green spaces are good for our heads. They:

• reduce migraine and severe headaches

• increase our pain threshold
• improve mood and self-esteem
• calm us down and help us deal with stress
• decrease depression, anger, anxiety, hostility and frustration
• help us concentrate, think more clearly and learn new things
• reduce tiredness and help us relax
• connect us spiritually – nature is good for the soul.
Being in nature helps us stay healthy and fight disease. A dose of green can:
• lower heart rate and blood pressure
• boost natural immunity to disease
• reduce allergies
• speed up healing and recovery from trauma
• reduce death rates from lung and heart disease
• decrease incidence of obesity
• lower blood sugar levels in people with diabetes
• help us feel happier, healthier and live longer.
CONSERVATION OF NATURE:

• When we speak about conserving nature, we are really talking about taking care of our
future, because nature provides essential resources for our survival and enjoyment. We
asked an international group of scientists working on different environmental issues
worldwide to identify important practical actions that we can all do to help conserve nature.
We obtained nearly 100 responses and grouped them into three main categories:
(1) Actions to reduce our ecological footprint;
(2) Actions to conserve nature;
(3) Actions that help us connect with nature. We briefly explain actions that can be
performed daily to reduce our impact on nature, and provide some useful links for further
reading.
• Recycle your rubbish and participate in or help organize recycling campaigns.
• Avoid littering and participate in or help organize litter clean-ups.
• Use less plastic by, for example, carrying a reusable water bottle, saying no to disposable
straws and cutlery, avoiding plastic toys, and bringing your own shopping bags.
• Swap toys, movies, and books instead of buying new ones.
• Donate, recycle, and repair electronic devices.
• Use less water when brushing teeth, taking a shower, or washing the dishes.
• Use less electricity by turning off lights and electronic devices when not in use, using
energy-saving light bulbs, and hanging clothes to dry.
• Use public transport, share a journey with friends (e.g., car-sharing), cycle, or walk when
possible.
• Use less paper by not printing unnecessary things and reading e-books.
• Turn down the air conditioning when it is hot and use fans if you are still hot-they use much
less power.
• Turn down the heat when it is cold and use sweaters, blankets, and socks to keep warm.
• Do not waste food and try to buy food that is grown locally and in season.
• Eat more non-meat proteins (like beans), less dairy, more vegetables, and more organic food
when possible.
• Buy products that do not cause damage to the environment and that have certified labels
(such as Rainforest Alliance and Animal Welfare).
• Refuse to buy what you do not need, because every item you do not buy reduces the
demand for the production of that item. For example, if everyone stopped buying plastic
bags, super markets would stop selling them.
• Try to prevent your pets from killing/harming wildlife.

• Do not touch or take home wild animals or plants.

• Plant native wildflowers, fruit trees, and pollinator-friendly plants in your garden or yard.

• Make compost to improve soil quality and to help insects.

• Build and place bat houses, bird houses, and “bee hotels” in your garden, school grounds,
and local green spaces.

• Do not buy/keep wild pets at home (such as parrots, song birds, wild cats, or reptiles), in
order to avoid supporting illegal trafficking of animals.

• Be aware of wild animals crossing the road and respect their paths.
REFERENCES:
➔ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nature#Human_interrelationship
➔ https://www.toppr.com/guides/essays/nature-essay/
➔ https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/get-involved/sydney-nature/benefits-of-nature
➔ https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2019.00084